Addicted
by Spectacularly Peculiar
Summary: Itachi meets a singer he saw at a club. What is he thinking? What do Gaara and Naruto have to do with this? And how will this girl with such a strange clan affect all of them? onesided ItachixOC and NarutoxOC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters of Naruto. I do own Shukumei/Doku. You can't have her. You can't have the plot either. I own that, too. hugs Doku plushie and manuscript

**Summary:** Itachi meets a singer he saw at a club. What is he thinking? What do Gaara and Naruto have to do with this? And how will this girl with such a strange clan affect all of them?

**Chapter 1 – Brief Meetings and Strong Feelings**

A girl in her late teens sat in a small restaurant in a village on the edge of Fire Country. She had ordered tea and miso soup. While waiting for her lunch she watched the people around her. People-watching was always amusing when you had the time and, boy, did she have time. Currently, she was employed by the local club as a singer/dancer for one night. That meant that by this time the next day she'd be working in the next village. Not much time when you think about it, but it was enough. Selling herself (looks and voice only, never her body; she still had that much respect for herself) was something she never thought she'd end up doing, never mind doing it well and actually making a decent living. But it was the traveling that she loved more than anything.

They always said she'd never keep to the village and that her voice, sweet as it was, could stop any fight. They'd nicknamed her Doku (poison, toxicant) for it because she could cause a fight as easily as end one and her listeners were always addicted by the end. But that was a long time ago, and she was starting to get tired. The Village Hidden in the Leaves wasn't too far, maybe they'd let her stay there? Only one way to find out and she needed money to get that far, a lot of money. Damn, traveling was getting expensive. Ugh, she should've stayed in the Hidden Sand. That red-head, the Kazekage's son, had taken good care of her for a month but eventually she felt she had to move on.

Anyway, who was around to observe this time of day? Not like there was a lot of choice, the place was practically empty. Oooh, here's an interesting pair…

Directly in front of her sat two men, one tall and blue (blue? since when were men blue?) the other was facing away from her and was much shorter, shorter than her even, with long dark hair. She let her mind wander while staring at the pair. They were, by far, the most interesting pair in the whole restaurant. Though the taller one seemed to be more menacing physically, the shorter one seemed to call the shots; always cutting off the taller with a simple glance or gesture, sometimes a word. The taller had a deep, gruff bass voice; the one in charge, the short one, had a smooth baritone she'd always been partial to. It crossed her mind that he could probably be a great singer if he tried. She could hear what they were saying if she listened, but that was rude. So she just listened to the timbre of each of their voices and let her mind wander. She almost fell asleep with her eyes open, old habits are so hard to break.

Eventually, the taller one noticed her staring and pointed it out to his companion. Only when the shorter man turned to face her did she finally realize she had been staring. Just as she opened her mouth to apologize her order came and she turned to thank the waitress. When she turned back around the blue man was sitting in the seat across from her. She blinked. When had he moved? And he had a scratched headband? Oh shit, she was dealing with _rogue ninja_.

"Did you see something interesting?"

WTF? He _better_ not be hitting on me. She made sure to keep her face blank. "Excuse me?"

"You were staring at me and my friend there and we don't appreciate it."

Oh great, a tough guy, too. Huh, time to start smiling sweetly. "I'm sorry. My mind was wandering. I didn't mean to offend."

"Just see that it doesn't happen again. You wouldn't want to upset my friend." Yeah, sure buddy. You wouldn't want to upset me either. Ninja don't scare me as much as I'll let you think.

She cocked her head to the side, her thinking habit. What to do to piss this guy off without getting in trouble? What to do? What to do? Then she got up and, much to the amazement of the blue-skinned man who was failing abominably at scaring her, she walked around him to his companion who looked up at her slowly.

She made a small bow, more of an incline of her head really. "I am sorry if I offended you."

He blinked and turned to his companion. "Kisame." Oooh, that baritone… (mental slap) Snap out of it girl.

"Eh, sorry, Itachi. Just wanted to…"

"To what?"

"Uh, never mind." The blue skinned man, apparently Kisame, got up and knocked over her tea (on purpose she noted). It seemed like he would've walked off but his partner gave him a look and he grudgingly apologized.

"Sorry."

Honestly, she couldn't care less. If he wanted to be a bastard, then fine. "It's fine, really. I think they give free refills here."

Kisame grunted and returned to his seat. She bent to clean up the tea, it had spilled all over the table top and onto the floor. Beginning to kneel, a hand grabbed her arm. She looked up at the dark haired man, what was his name? Ah yes, Itachi.

Itachi turned to Kisame with another of those looks. Kisame seemed to balk a little but went to clean the tea himself. Itachi gestured her into Kisame's seat. His pitch-black eyes followed her every move. She didn't feel uncomfortable; he wasn't comparing or judging her, just watching.

"Are you sure…?" She gestured to Kisame. He didn't answer, simply nodded. He pushed his plate of sushi to the middle of the table and handed her a pair of chopsticks. She smiled and raised her hand in a refusing gesture. Quite honestly, she didn't like raw fish and the idea of eating said food nauseated her no matter how much time she spent in this country. To watch him eat it on the other hand was utterly fascinating. This man was very… feminine.

He had long, flowing, well-kept hair. Her hair was longer, she thought, but couldn't be sure; she hadn't let down her hair from its bun and actually paid attention to it in a long time. Granted, she washed it often enough but she couldn't remember exactly how long it was. It was a dark chocolaty-brown, she knew; silky, thick, and heavy, too. His nails were painted purple. She kept only clear nail hardener on, it was so much easier because it didn't show when it chipped. He had a pale, smoothly sculpted face with insomnia lines beneath his eyes. She was much darker, and the only features to really stand out on her were her high cheekbones and cat-like eyes. He had a tiny stature compared to most men, most especially to his partner. She was taller by a few inches, if she had been wearing her stage heels she would've towered over him.

All in all, if it wasn't for the obviously square shoulders and lack of breasts she would have thought him a woman from far away. At the same time she acknowledged the strength this man carried around him. She learned a lot about judging the strength of a person while singing in some of those seedier places. They weren't exactly… _selective_ about their clientele and she'd had to learn fast to keep her money and her life.

He finished his mouthful and looked her in the eye. "What are you doing here?"

That one threw her off; sure the place wasn't a five-star restaurant but she'd been in worse. "I beg your pardon?"

"I saw you in the village we were in yesterday. What are you doing here?"

Oh great, don't tell me he's my latest stalker. Better nip this in the bud. I think it's time for the business-only voice. "I doubt very much that it's any of your business but, as I'm sure you know, I'm a singer for hire. That is what I'm doing here."

He seemed unfazed by her tone. "You have a very good voice. Were you formally trained?"

What is it with this guy? Oh well, they're innocent questions. "No."

"Talent like that is a burden." He seemed to get very sad and she had to wonder what his talent was.

"Only if you let it be." Her voice had softened more than she had meant it to, but there was know taking it back now.

This man's face and body language never changed, but she could read him oh so easily. Another talent, another burden. Again, she saw him rouse himself from his thoughts to continue the conversation. "What is your name?"

"Doku. You should know that, you've seen my show after all."

"No. Your real name."

"Shukumei (fate, destiny) or just Mei (dark, niece)."

"Mei." He tasted the name, rolling it on his tongue, and seemed to find it fitting. "You have a very beautiful voice, Mei. You shouldn't waste it in clubs like that."

What the bloody hell is up with these guys? First that one tries to scare me, then this one acts like he wants to "save" me. Yeah, that didn't work out too well for Red. I think _he's_ still nursing a broken heart, poor baby… "Nowhere else will take me _because_ I haven't been formally trained. Besides, I get better pay at those clubs because of the tips. So, why was someone like you at one of those places anyway? I can't imagine you couldn't _find_ someone to pass the time with."

"I didn't want anyone, I was simply out walking. Then it started raining and I didn't feel like getting wet."

Liar. He heard the singing and went in. That's how it always is. "I love the rain. It's beautiful. Nature has a rhythm all its own."

"Not even rain can wash away a past though." So sad… But why? In any case, I shouldn't get involved. It's none of my business.

"Good thing I don't have a past to be washed away then. But I'm guessing you do." He seemed to narrow his eyes at her, as if wondering how she knew this and how she was so calm about it. "The scratched headband kind of gives that away. Are you going to come to the club tonight?" There was only one, it wouldn't take him long to find it either.

He seemed to think for a second, his eyes unfocused and then they zeroed in on her in all their inky black glory. "Yes." They're always addicted…

"Good. I'll see you then. Have a nice lunch, Itachi." And there is no cure…

She walked away, finished her lunch quickly, paid, and left. She didn't acknowledge them as she walked out. He was still sitting there, watching her, when she walked out the door. Because I'm the disease…

She practically ran down the street. When she thought she was far enough from the restaurant she stopped and stared at the sky. It was so blue, such a dark, _dark_ blue…

And there is no avoiding Poisoned Fate…

"No avoiding it at all." A single tear slipped down her cheek, almost immediately lost among the raindrops.

**Author's Note****:** Comments? Questions? Concerns? Suggestions? All are welcome. All are expected. Go click that button and type a few words. That's all I ask.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters of Naruto or any of the songs. I do own Shukumei/Doku. You can't have her. You can't have the plot either. I own that, too. hugs Doku plushie and manuscript

**Chapter 2 – Poisoned Fate**

She stood there in the rain for god-only-knows how long. The cool rain helped to wash away her heated thoughts. She thought of Gaara, she thought of Itachi, she thought of the many men she'd ensnared during her travels. The dreams she'd crushed, the lives that had been ended with her name on their lips. She never knew if any of these things had actually happened, not for sure. She never wanted to know for sure. But it was just one of those things that she knew. A woman's intuition can be a terrible thing.

Eventually, she found her way back to the hotel room; from there she made her way to the club with her luggage. She did her thing, got paid, managed to avoid Itachi (sort of, she knew he was there but he seemed to realize she did not want company), and left the village. Before she did, she asked who had been the biggest tipper of the night. The manager told her it was a guy with long hair and black-as-pitch eyes, he didn't get a name. You've got to be kidding me. She practically ran all night to the next village, got a cheap room, and slept till noon the next day. She managed to get a job waiting tables for the afternoon and made quite the pretty penny by the end of the day.

That time she did see Itachi. As a matter of fact, she ended up serving him. Again, she found that he gave her the biggest tip of the day. He actually waited until she got off her shift to talk to her, ordering random things and lots of tea to justify his stay (his bill was fairly high at the end of all that). It was the inconsequential babble of small talk, with plenty of lengthy silences, but she found she rather liked it. He was comfortable to be around for her. Minus his partner of course. Fish-boy, as she had dubbed him in her head, was a loud, creepy, uncouth, brute who wouldn't know good company if it bit him. She had even told Itachi so and, instead of getting angry, his eyes seemed to sparkle with laughter somewhere behind the obvious. His lips never even twitched. She'd smiled and he'd looked confused at that before she changed the topic.

They talked about so many things she couldn't remember them all at the end of the day. What stood out vividly was the visible tensing of his frame when she asked about his family.

-:-Flashback-:-

They'd been talking for some time when "What's your family like?" decided to come out of her mouth. She had the biggest urge to either clap a hand over her mouth and apologize profusely or slap herself and then apologize profusely. She did neither. Instead, she kept a calm face and mentally berated herself. Idiot! You _know_ that's the one thing you _never_ ask anybody!

His shoulders seemed to tense without physically tensing, like he. He seemed like he really wanted to avoid this question, but he answered her anyway. "I don't have one." He continued to sip his tea.

She felt herself sigh unhappily as she slid into old memories of her own family. She snapped out of it and stared at the cup of tea in her now-cold hands. "Neither do I. Well, not anymore. I miss them though. Especially my baby brother." She started to stare out of the window, lost in that one thought. "He'd be about what, 16 now? Wow, time does fly." He tensed even more and her brow wrinkled in thought. What is wrong with me today? I keep saying all the wrong things! "So, you've obviously traveled a lot. Where have you been?"

He actually smiled a little, but it was rueful, like he wished he hadn't been in so many places. Like he wished he had just stayed home. "Where haven't I been?"

-:-End Flashback-:-

She didn't know where Itachi was the next morning, despite the fact that he had stayed the night. He said he didn't want to go back to the room where his partner was. Funnily enough, they were staying in the same hotel anyway. She invited him up to her room, breaking one of her few golden rules in the process, and they continued to talk. So they stayed up late talking some more about inconsequential things. They found they had very similar views on almost everything. Music, literature, politics, the beauty of nature, they agreed on it all. She would have fallen for him if she let herself, but she didn't. She wasn't the loving type after everything she'd been through, and this comfortable feeling she had around him was slightly unnerving to her. But she trusted her gut instincts; they had never led her wrong before. That was her only reasoning for breaking her most important rule: No one goes near her hotel room.

When he excused himself to use the bathroom she realized how tired she was. She resolved to ask him to either leave or stay on the couch. She rested her head on the table for a second and closed her burning eyes. She was asleep almost before her eyes finished closing. The next thing she was aware of was low laughter and being lifted very gently and placed on the bed. She half woke and saw Itachi hovering over her.

"I'll leave you to sleep now", he whispered and started to move away.

She held onto his arm and whispered back, "Or you could stay. These couches are really comfy and you don't want to go back."

He smiled at her, an actually happy smile. He was very pretty when he smiled, she decided, and should do it more often. "I don't?"

"No, you don't."

"It's a little scary how you know that", he admitted.

"I'm a girl, it's part of the job to be able to read you like a book with large text and illustrations." She smiled. He took off his shoes and lay down next to her. "I said the couch you know."

"You want me to move?" Her response was to make herself comfortable using his chest as a pillow, she fell asleep to his heartbeat.

The next morning, she woke up and he wasn't there. Somehow it felt like he didn't really leave; like he was somewhere around, keeping an eye on her like he had at that last club. She liked the feeling of being protected. It was something she hadn't felt in a long time. She walked at a leisurely pace through the forests surrounding the Hidden Leaf, still getting that watched-over feeling. Thick canopies overhead gave the path a dappled look. They must have really taken care of their surroundings for them to have regenerated so quickly after the Kyuubi attacked. I still can't believe that I vaguely remember that night. I think I was here with Papa on one of his business trips…

She reached the gates and signed in without much of a hitch. Once she passed through them, the feeling of being watched left and she missed it after only a second. The guards did look at her strangely though, like they expected something. When she turned a corner she snuck a quick glance back at them, their heads were bent together and they were talking hurriedly. After a shared nod and a glance at her, one leapt off in the direction of the tower she could see near the center of the village. She watched as he ran along the rooftops and wondered why they would act so suspicious of her.

A while later, after renting a place to stay so she had somewhere to leave her things, she wandered around the town still dressed in her traveling clothes. A dark grey colored cloak, a half-sleeved top that was much lighter shade of grey, black gloves, black boots (each complete with hidden knives), and blue semi-snug denim pants (also with various hidden weapons) were the most comfortable, durable, and inconspicuous clothes she owned. Especially since most of the rest were her stage clothes. She saw no red light district and only a few night clubs in her wanderings. There was a highbrow bar/lounge that looked like it was undergoing repairs. The windows were being replaced and the name was covered. She would try that first but she didn't expect much. Granted she would have a bath and dress a bit more chic before she even approached the place but that couldn't fill in the blank spaces on her résumé. They always said to aim high…

She returned to her room and bathed, dressed in the same pants but added a blouse and high-heels to the ensemble. When she walked into the bar/lounge, she was shocked. This place operated very differently from the others she'd been in. Instead of filling out paperwork then waiting to be called in, they had to give a live audition first. There were some good singers before her and apparently they had been there before because the judge addressed them by first name and gave little comments about how they had improved. She was the last one up. The judge, a large, square shouldered, white-haired, older man (who also seemed to be a bit of a pervert) asked her for a name.

"Shukumei, or just Mei."

"Do you have a family name?"

"Kashou (temporary name or song)." Real subtle, Mei. Real subtle. At least he didn't write it down so I can always give him a different name later and tell him he heard wrong.

"I haven't seen you around before, Kashou-san." He smiled a lecher's smile and leant his face on a fist, his elbow on a table.

And you look like the type to take a good long look, gramps… "I just got here. I travel around a lot."

"Do you plan on a one night performance, or are you looking for something a bit longer?"

"I actually want to settle down, so I'm looking for a job to pay for the hotel room in the meantime. As yet, I haven't gone to apply for citizenship or look for an apartment."

"I'm sure you'll find it's very easy to settle in here. Now, back to business: What is your style?" he seemed to settle into an actual business-man personality so she was able to relax a bit.

"I don't really have a set style. I can sing basically anything you want me to."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Can you now? That is quite a bold statement, young lady. Let me rephrase the question. _Where_ do you normally sing?"

"Night clubs, restaurants, where ever I can find a job really."

"Hm, I see. Well, let's hear you sing a few bars."

At home in her element at last, she relaxed completely. "What would you like to hear?"

"How about _'Heaven Sent'_? Do you know it?"

"Keyshia Cole, right? I know it." She cleared her throat and began.

Music started somewhere and played through the stereo system. She sang every note of the whole song, not missing or botching a single one. He didn't say a word, only watched her as she poured herself into the song. Moving her body to the music she forgot there was anyone in the room. She closed her eyes and put all her energy into projecting her voice out into the tiny space. Out of habit she sang at full volume, trying to make herself heard over the sounds of a packed room that only existed in her head. She opened her eyes halfway through and focused on him the rest of the song.

"Now _'He Is'_."

"Heather Headley?" A nod. She went on. At the end, the same result.

"Now, _'Nothin' Better To Do'_."

"LeAnn Rimes?" Another nod. She launched herself into the song. It turned out to be the last one.

"Well, it sounds to me like you have a job here." A pause. "For as long as you can sing like that, at least."

Her "Thank you" was more of a sigh of relief than any actual courtesy. She was about to say more when someone started yelling at the top of their lungs out in the lobby. They both turned to the lobby doors to listen in.

"What do you mean I can't talk to him?" There were mumbles, presumably an answer to the inquiry.

"I don't care if there're auditions going on! I need to talk to Pervy Sage right now and you're not going to stop me!" The small voice raised itself as if to stop him, whoever he was, but apparently he was not one to be easily deterred as he burst through the doors a second later. The only thing Mei registered in those first few seconds were a loud, rumbly baritone voice, bright blonde hair, and a bright orange/black jacket. Who dresses in black and orange unless it's Halloween?

"You were supposed to be training me! You're half an hour late! And staring at girls as usual!"

She decided to ignore the last statement and turned to the judge. "I'm sorry. I didn't know I was keeping you. You could have told me and rescheduled or something, it would have been fine."

"No, no my dear. It's fine, really." The older man turned to the young boy. "Naruto, be kind to the woman who's making sure this place gets off the ground and you get paid!"

"Eh?! _She's_ the headliner for tonight?!"

Mei was not stupid. She saw a chance to increase her pay and she jumped at it. "Humph. I feel insulted. If you don't like me so much maybe I'll just take a job somewhere else. Somewhere that pays better." Really, they hadn't talked about what she would be paid but she could definitely get better than a place just starting.

"What?! No! I'll increase your pay 50! And ignore him, he doesn't know what he's saying! Naruto, if you don't shut up right now and apologize and stop calling me "Pervy Sage" I'm never going to finish your training."

"Why should I apologize to her?! We can find another headliner for tonight!"

"Not one as good as her! Now stop shouting nonsense and apologize!"

"I'll apologize when I hear her sing!"

"Is that all you need? Fine. Daisuke! Play back the recording from the last audition!"

Apparently, Daisuke is the sound-guy around here. Hm, I've never actually heard myself on a recording, this ought to be interesting.

Naruto didn't say anything during the playback. After one song though, he called for the playback to stop. Then he turned to her and, very seriously, apologized.

"I am so sorry for insulting you. I just wanted to make sure you were as good as he said. Sometimes, he'll hire a girl just because she's pretty, even if she has a mediocre voice. I've had to tell quite a few girls to not come back. When I saw you, I thought he'd done it again."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Is that some kind of indirect compliment?"

It was Naruto's turn to be surprised. "Excuse me?"

"You just called me pretty."

He looked confused for a second, then blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "So I did. Please don't hold it against me."

"Well, I'm glad you're hiring me for my voice and not my looks. Personally, I think that's even more of a compliment. So, what time do you want me to come back for a sound check?"

"Not for a while, I have some business with the Hokage."

"Oh good, I'll go with you if you don't mind. I have to apply for citizenship anyway."

"All right, follow me." He turned to the elderly gentleman who was looking quite smug at the fact that he had landed them such a good singer. "I'll be back in a few hours to go over a schedule with you."

"I'll be here, going over paperwork."

"Tch. Yeah right, and pigs will fly", he called over his shoulder. She bowed respectfully and followed Naruto out.


	3. Chapter 3

Standard Disclaimer Applies

_**Standard Disclaimer Applies**_

**Chapter 3 – Meeting Old Friends**

As they walked, she asked him questions about the club. "That place looks brand new, did you guys just open?"

"Yeah, tonight's gonna be our opening night." Naruto's smile almost blinded her, but she felt her lips curving up in answer. His good mood is infectious.

"I'm your headliner for opening night? Wow, I've never done that before. I noticed you didn't have the name showing on the front. What's it going to be called?"

"The Paradise Lounge."

"Hm, The Paradise Lounge. It rolls off the tongue nicely."

"I have to give Jiraiya credit for that one."

"Who's that? Your partner?"

"Sort of. He's the white-haired guy who hired you. He's my mentor, mostly. The club was my idea; he funded it and owns part of it. There's one more co-owner, but he doesn't do much yet. He's gonna be the bartender most nights. You'll probably meet him later. His name's Kakashi. He's a bit of a lazy-ass but he mixes one hell of a drink and he's dedicated when he finds something he deems worthy of his effort."

"Who will I be working with most of the time?"

"Me, most likely. Like I said, Kakashi doesn't do much, but he'll probably come watch rehearsals once in a while. As for Jiraiya, he'll probably only be around at dress rehearsals and song selection. Mostly for the fact that your wardrobe will be… well…" He started to blush again.

"Tight? Skimpy? Some combination of the two?"

"Yeah, but not too bad, you know? Elegant but still sexy. You don't mind right?"

"I've worked in nightclubs before, uh… I'm sorry, what was your name again?"

"Naruto Uzumaki."

"Like I said, Uzumaki-san, I've worked in nightclubs; I don't mind much of anything anymore. Just don't let my back show."

"Please don't use the formality. And why your back?"

"If you insist, but I'll probably come up with an annoying nickname just to teach you a lesson." She smiled to show she was teasing. "As for my back, I have some scars there I'd rather not let people see. No big deal, really. It just happens to be one of the things I'm very self-conscious about."

"I don't mind a nickname. And I'm sure you can talk to the costume designer and work something out. Do you have any ideas?"

"Yeah, I draw that sort of thing and have them made, usually. Just because I can never find anything I like in stores."

"Perfect then. After we meet with the Hokage, I'll introduce you to the designer and we'll talk about that with her, ok?"

"Fine by me. Anything else?"

"Song selection?"

"I'll sing whatever you like. I have no reservations."

"Good. I like variation and the other two don't really give much input anyway."

They walked for a minute in silence. "So this club is like your baby?"

Naruto smiled. "Between missions from the Hokage, yes. This club is very much my baby."

"You're a ninja, too?" Odd, he's not wearing a headband.

"Yep. And one of these days, I'll be Hokage!"

"That's quite a goal. I hope you reach it."

"Thanks. Speaking of which: Here we are."

They walked in and Naruto helped her fill out the paperwork before they headed to the Hokage's office. Naruto insisted on personally introducing her to "Granny, that old hag" as he called her. She frowned and berated him for not showing his leader proper respect. As they walked to her office, Naruto explained that, at first, it was a show of disrespect but now it was more like a term of endearment since she constantly called him "kid" or "brat" in return. She had to laugh, her brother had done the same with her, calling her aunty when he wanted to piss her off. She'd made the mistake of telling him once that it made her feel old.

He pouted while she laughed to herself. "Hey, what's so funny?"

Still laughing she said, "It's just that my brother-" She realized what she was saying and cut herself off. Her smile faded to nothing and she stared at the wooden floorboards. She kept walking, forcing him to keep moving toward their destination even though he wanted to stop her and make her look at him. It hurt him to see others hurt.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"I just don't want to remember my family that's all. No big deal, really." Why does it hurt to talk about him with Naruto and not Itachi? She forced a small smile, but Naruto wasn't fooled.

"If you don't want to talk, that's ok. But now you have to tell me just how bad your back is. You said that was no big deal, too."

Damn, she had slipped up. Figuring that it was better to talk about the scars than her family she told the story.

"Back home, I was famous for my voice. I sang in restaurants and bars all the time, even when I was younger, there was always someone looking out for me. One day some ninja came through on their way home from a failed mission. They started drinking and got thrown out of one bar after another. When they got to the one I was singing in they sat down and listened for while. Then they started making trouble, booing me, saying how bad I was and such. Then they tried to drag me off the stage. I fought back and it scared everyone else so they ran. They'd never seen me fight. I'd never actually been formally trained so they managed to pin me and they carved a kanji into my back. They even used fire jutsu to burn it on top of that to make the marks bigger. By the time someone got some of our own ninja to the bar, they were done. They were beaten and chased out of town. I wouldn't let anyone come near me for the longest time. I sat in the middle of that trashed bar and cried; I was half out of it most of the time. All I was aware of was the pain in my back, the smell of burnt flesh and blood, and the sharp spikes in pain as I subconsciously healed the wound."

To say that Naruto was shocked was an understatement. To say that he was livid was also an understatement. To say that he was heartbroken was accurate. "Why would they be afraid of you? And why wouldn't anyone help you?"

"My family is famous for the fact that we have extremely dense chakra. It can be deadly to anyone other than the owner of that chakra, the force of that the density is so great. They were afraid I would lose control of it and kill them, too. It's also the reason they all ran and didn't help me. They thought I would be ok." She was whispering by the end of her story and he had to strain to hear her. He stopped outside Tsunade's door and turned to her. She was still staring at the floor and hugging herself.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

Her head snapped up. "What?" He couldn't possibly have been treated like that, too, could he?

"It's not a scar, but a lot of the people around here hate me for it anyway. I'll show you. You don't have to show me yours now, just tell me what it says." She nodded. She hadn't told anyone in so long and never, ever shown anyone voluntarily. Besides, she needed to establish trust with the people around here if it was going to be her new home, why not start with her employer? He lifted up his shirt and showed her his stomach. She was a bit shocked, but not surprised. She never really believed it to be dead anyway.

"Is that a seal mark?" She reined in the urge to run her fingers over the mark.

"Yeah. I'm the vessel for Kyuubi." He lowered his shirt.

She looked up at him. His eyes showed pain. "It reads… 'Bad'."

"I'm sorry."

She shrugged. "I'm used to it." Something clicked in her head. If he tells anyone then the whole village will know! Her head snapped up and her face showed desperation. "Please don't tell anyone!"

"Don't worry, I won't tell. But you shouldn't have to be used to it. No one should. I promise I'll make sure you're never treated that way at the Paradise. If anyone tries to harass you, I will personally protect you."

"Thank you. I promise I'll show you, but we should probably go see your Hokage. The secretary rang her up to tell her we were coming, we shouldn't keep her waiting."

He turned and knocked on the door, without waiting for the assent he opened it and pulled her in behind him. "Hey, old hag, we've got ourselves a new citizen. And she's singing at the Paradise!"

"About time you guys picked somebody. I thought you'd never settle down with one. Hurry up with this ok? Apparently there's someone who looks like female version of Itachi running around."

No one noticed Mei's eyes go wide. That couldn't be… She peeked around Naruto. It is! Wait, she couldn't be talking about the Itachi I know, could she? Only one way to find out, I suppose.

"Aunty?"

Tsunade nearly choked on her sake. "Mei?! What are you doing here?"

Naruto, although he was shocked to hear the name Itachi, focused only on the short exchange between the two females. "Uh, you two know each other? And what's this about an Itachi look alike?"

"This morning, the guards at the gate told me that a woman who looked suspiciously like Itachi Uchiha had walked into the village. But that was you wasn't it?"

"At about 10, right? Yep, that was me."

"Well that's a relief. I thought I was going to have to have the ANBU Black Ops scan the village."

After being ignored for so long Naruto exploded. "She doesn't look like him! And how the heck do you two know each other?!"

"Aunty Tsunade took care of me when my back was burned. I hadn't really done a good job."

"Are you kidding? You did a great job! The scarring would've been so much worse if you hadn't done anything. But Mei, are you ok? Is something wrong? What are you doing here?"

That's right, she doesn't know… "Oh, I've been traveling around. I finally decided to settle down. It seems you finally made that decision, too. How are you, Aunty? It feels like it's been forever."

"Actually, I got conned into this job. But I'd rather do it than put anyone else around here in charge, or worse, the Counsel." She made a face. Mei laughed. "Come here you two, sit down." They moved to the chairs. "Did you fill out all the paperwork? Or find an apartment?"

"Paperwork, yes. Apartment, no. Job, maybe." She looked over at Naruto's shocked face, then back at Tsunade. "I think I'll keep him though."

Both women laughed as Naruto yelled out an indignant "Hey!". He pouted for a while before he interrupted the women's talk and started asking about how they knew each other. Mei told the story.

"My back was half-healed and Aunty Tsunade came through town. Everyone was afraid to go near me, but they were also afraid for my health. They made a deal with Aunty, if she healed me she would get free room and board at my home for a week. Took her a while to get through to me, but in the end it all turned out ok. I accidentally called her aunty when I was waking up and she kind of got attached to the name. Like I said, it all turned out ok."

"Except your back still scarred pretty badly. I'm still sorry I couldn't fix that for you."

"How many times do I have to say it, Aunty? It's ok, I don't mind so much anymore. It could've been worse and you did your best. It's ok." She glanced at the clock. "We should get going though. We need to get back for a sound check."

"Oh shit! You're right! Bye Granny!"

"Watch your language around ladies, kid!"

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Mei! C'mon, we gotta get going!" Tsunade didn't even bother to remind him that she was also a lady. It wouldn't have done any good anyway.

Both women shook their head at his antics. Before Mei left, Tsunade called out:

"He'll take good care of you, I promise. That won't happen to you again."

"I know, Aunty. I trust him… enough to show him."

Tsunade knew what that meant and she was both shocked and happy that Mei would finally show someone, anyone, her scars. Mei turned to her again.

"Aunty? Do you have a picture of this Itachi Uchiha?"

"Yes. Why?"

"May I see it?" Tsunade fished out a picture of the defector and handed it to Mei.

She fell into the chair previously occupied by Naruto and breathed, "Aunty, I know this man. What has he done?"

"He murdered his entire clan except for his younger brother, Sasuke."

"Oh, Aunty… I trusted this man. I shared a bed with him. He's so much like me."

Now, Tsunade was getting scarred. She's only heard Mei talk like this when she was delusional, sitting in the middle of a trashed bar, calling for 'them' to stop hurting her. And now she had shared a bed with Itachi Uchiha? She was slipping into that dark place in her mind and Tsunade had no way to pull her back but to keep talking to her. "What are you talking about, Mei?"

Mei wrapped her arms around her, the photo fluttered to the ground and she didn't notice as she began to rock her body back and forth. "You never heard… Fukimaru went crazy… he killed everyone… when I came home, they had sent in Special Ops teams to subdue him… I couldn't let anyone else die. I caught up with them… set up a barrier around us… kept the others safe. He didn't… he couldn't recognize me. He tried to attack the Special Ops shinobi. Aunty… I killed him."

Mei broke down and cried; out of frustration, out of sadness, and out of confusion she cried. Tsunade sat back in her chair, unbelieving. In the hallway where he'd been listening after rushing back when he realized Mei wasn't following him, Naruto leant against the wall opposite the door, slid down, and stayed there just staring at the floor.


	4. Chapter 4

Um, yeah, about the ridiculously long wait for anyone still reading this crappy writing that I post here... Sorry about that. Amazingly, I do have quite a few chapters written in advance. I just don't quite have an ending for this little plot monster I've created. Any and all ideas are welcome. Thanks. ^_^

_**Standard Disclaimer Applies**_

**Chapter 4 – Sound Check. 1, 2, 3**

Mei got a hold of herself fairly quickly and rose from the chair to hug her Aunty (who mechanically hugged back) before leaving to find Naruto. She opened the office door and saw him sitting against the opposite wall. She stepped to the side to let Tsunade see him.

"You two are the only ones that know about this. Can I trust you both to keep it that way? I don't think I can handle the pity and hate that comes with people finding out."

The two blondes nodded in unison. Mei looked at the clock. "We're really going to be late if we don't run. 'Bye, Aunty." She smiled. The two others shared this thought: _'That looks so natural. I wonder how many times she's faked a smile to make others happy.'_

Naruto and Mei ran all the way back to Paradise and found that all the paperwork had actually been done and the bar was actually stocked with liquor and the glasses were currently being polished by none other than the bartender, Kakashi. Naruto had turned to her with a stunned face and said, jokingly, that he just might keep her, she was such good luck.

The sound check went fast. It took all of five minutes to pick out songs and run through each one quickly. It took another five to meet with Hinata, the costume designer, and arrange a decent wardrobe for the rest of the week. They had some trouble with picking the first song of the night, though they had narrowed down the choices. They all decided to leave it until a little later. There were still quite a few hours till Showtime and with nothing to do they sat around at some of the tables.

Naruto looked over at Mei, who was finishing a virgin piña colada that Kakashi had whipped up for her in welcome. Naruto had nearly hit him over the head after he started blatantly hitting on her, Kakashi's only defense being that he thought she was older. Naruto had conveniently ignored the fact that Mei had been flirting back.

After studying her for a few seconds he said, "Wanna go for a swim?"

She looked up and stated simply, "I don't have a swim suit."

Naruto shrugged and drummed his fingers on the table, one elbow over the back of the chair, that hand playing with the crystal that hung around his neck. "We can buy one really fast. You know your size, right? And you won't even have to pay for it. Think of it as my welcoming gift."

She felt a little listless and a dip sounded fine. She shrugged. "Alright, I could use a dip. And it'll give us a chance to talk."

"That's what I was hoping for."

Ten minutes and one short shopping spree later found the two with new, clean bathing suits under their shirts, not wearing shoes or pants, and sitting on towels at the edge of a wide, slow river.

It's so peaceful here. No small wonder he likes this spot. What does he want to know? He's heard the biggest secret already.

"Did you get attacked before or after your brother went crazy?" Naruto didn't look at her as he spoke.

"Before. Sometimes I wonder if that had anything to do with it. He was an excellent ninja, a prodigy even, and he had never seen something like that done to a civilian. I think he was more upset about it than I was. I didn't really care. I was only happy no one else got hurt and no one from my family saw me that way. He was one of the few that I showed the scar to. Thinking back, it probably wasn't the best idea." She didn't look at him either.

"And what about Itachi?"

Mei stiffened. I really don't want to have to explain that, but it's better if I do. Even if it's just to Naruto. "What about him?"

"Tell me about him. I don't know what he's like unless he's trying to kidnap me." Naruto's tone was sardonic, but still held seriousness.

"To get Kyuubi right?" Naruto nodded. Both kept their eyes on the river. "He's… a lot like me actually. We agree on a lot of things. He's very considerate. I was waiting tables and he stayed and ordered things until my shift was over just to talk to me. He spent a pretty penny doing that. The same goes for the tip he put on his bill for me and the tip he gave me at the club the night before. He didn't want to spend time with his partner so he stayed with me. He came over to my hotel room and we talked until late. When he went to bathroom I fell asleep in my chair. He put me on the bed, I woke up, and I asked him to stay. So he did. I fell asleep to the sound of his heartbeat. When I woke up the next day he wasn't there. But I still felt like he was watching over me the whole way here. When I passed through the gates the feeling stopped. I haven't felt it again." Now she turned to face him. "The Itachi you know and the one I know are two very different people, they just happen to be the same body. Is that all you wanted to know?"

"That's all you did? You just fell asleep on him?" He looked almost skeptical.

"Mm-hm."

Naruto visibly relaxed and he smiled a little. "That's good. Still, we shouldn't let Sasuke find out you met him. He might try something."

She looked over at him curiously. "Like what?"

"I don't know and I don't want to." He stood up and held a hand out to her. "C'mon, we haven't had our dip yet."

She looked up at him. "I still have to show you my scar."

He shook his head, hand still outstretched. "You don't have to."

"You're right, I don't. I want to." Here goes nothing… Mei pulled up her shirt and pivoted to show the expanse of her back, she looked over her shoulder to watch his reaction. The shiny scar covered half of her upper back. Naruto knelt back down and reached over to touch the mark. He stopped short. She smiled. "Go ahead. It's ok."

"Can you feel anything here?" He laid a finger lightly on the mark and traced it. It was smooth to the touch and the edges were fine, not ragged like he expected; almost as if someone had used ink and brush to put this on her back. Not exactly what one would expect from a knife and flame.

"Not a thing. Well, I can feel a certain amount of pressure but nothing else really. For instance, I can't feel my shirt on my back, but I can feel it if you press your finger there."

"Like this?" Naruto pressed his finger to one of the marks.

"Mm-hm." She let the shirt fall to the ground and turned to face him. "What about that dip?" She grabbed his hand and raced to the water's edge. They spent the next hour playing like five-year-olds in a kiddie pool. Naruto had to (almost) literally drag her out so they could dry off in time for the final check. They both lay in the sun for a few minutes, soaking up the warmth and dozing, before he sat up and looked down at her.

"How long is your hair?"

She yawned, covering her mouth politely. "That's a random question. But now that I think of it, I don't know. To my waist maybe?"

"Why don't you let it down?"

"It's too much trouble to put it up again." She rolled onto her stomach and pillowed her head on her arms.

"You sound like Shikamaru."

She cracked an eye open. "Who?"

"You'll probably meet him later. Let your hair down for me?"

She raised her head. "Why?"

"I wanna see."

She quirked an eyebrow delicately. "That's supposed to be a reason?"

"Yes."

She sighed. "Fine. You're lucky you're cute."

Naruto jabbed his fists in the air. "Yes! Wait… did you just call me cute?"

"Yep, returning the compliment." Mei laughed at the face he made and sat up. She turned to face the sun and let down her hair. It was more than waist length. It pooled on the towel behind her and Naruto's lap as it fell. Naruto reached up to pull it away from her neck and weigh it in his hand. It was very thick and heavy. Wet from the river water, it looked black and smelled of licorice.

"It's really heavy." He released her hair and brushed it to the side. "Why don't you cut it?"

She looked at her hands in her lap. "It's silly really… it's not really a reason at all…" She worried her lip, held her elbows, shivered, and closed her eyes. So tired, so cold…

"Bet you it's not." He rested his chin on her shoulder then backed away fast, like he was burned. Mei turned her head to give him a half-hearted glare, too tired to put much effort into it.

"Hey, get back here. You're warm."

He was a bit shocked. "Oh, sorry. I thought you'd mind. You're cold?"

"Mm-hm." She rubbed the goose bumps on her arms. It wasn't really cold out, but suddenly she felt the need of another person near her. Like she had in the Hidden Sand, but this time she wouldn't let it get the best of her.

Naruto leaned forward again. "You don't mind?" She shook her head and he felt her hair tickle the insides of his thighs. He wrapped arms around her waist as she leaned back. "Better?"

She sighed and relaxed into the warm, hard chest behind her. "Much."

She felt him chuckle. "Don't fall asleep now; we still have a show to do."

"Which reminds me, what do you want the first song to be? I know we talked about a couple."

"Nice try." She could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

She closed her eyes and smiled. "Wasn't it? I thought for sure it'd work."

"Just because I'm blonde doesn't mean I'm stupid", he grumbled good naturedly.

"Never said you were, just thought I'd try. It worked with Itachi."

Naruto was more than a little surprised. Itachi could get thrown off course? Then again, it was a pretty girl doing the talking and any straight man is susceptible to that. Unless of course you weren't human… or you were married. "Really?"

"Yep. But only once, and I forgot what the question was."

"And what about my question?"

She sighed. "Fukimaru liked it long."

"Your brother right?"

She nodded. "My oto." She shivered and tried to repress the tears. "I miss him, Naruto."

"I'm sorry you had to do what you did. I'm sure he forgives you. I know Granny and I do."

"I know he does. He told me right before he died. He told me he loved me with his last breath." She opened her eyes and stared at the sky, the tears ran unhindered. "Naruto, I don't mind these scars because they remind me to be cruel when need be, but to be gentle at all other times. They remind me of my family and the love they gave me. They remind me that I'm human and not some monster. These scars keep me sane."

"You'll never be a monster, Mei. Never." He gave her a little squeeze of assurance.

"I promise I'll never think that again if you promise the same. And don't try lying to me; I know that you've thought that at least once before."

"I promise. How did you know that Mei?"

"I know your history and what that can do to a child, that's all. But Naruto, there's something else I wanted to tell you but really no one outside the family is supposed to know…" She fidgeted a little in his embrace.

Naruto waited patiently for Mei to come to a decision, he would accept it no matter what. He trusted this girl, though she hadn't earned it and he knew the same went for her.

"My family has very dense chakra for a reason. We have harbored daemons as our guardians for generations. It's a mutual benefit thing. The daemons get company and we get the ability to defend ourselves better. We are bound together at birth and so we grow up together and we are never truly alone. There is always someone who knows exactly what we've been through. They see what we see, but they can pick up on different things. It comes in handy in battle actually; they're like having a pair of eyes in the back your head or your best friend always at your back."

"Can I meet her or him or whatever?"

"Her. And yes, but you're going to have to let go. I don't want to burn you."

He relinquished his hold. "Burn me? And I don't suppose you want to meet Kyuubi do you? You'd have to pay a visit to my subconscious though."

She turned around to face him. "The chakra can burn sometimes and I would love to. Ready?"

"Yeah." Mei scooted away and folded her hands in front of her, like she was praying or paying respect to someone. Then she was enveloped in bright snow-white chakra so dense he couldn't see her through it. Naruto suddenly felt so cold he burned and had to cover his eyes with his arms to protect them from the brightness. When he could look again he saw Mei with a giant white wolf behind her, silvery gold eyes locked on him and flicking its two tails in an unimpressed manner.

"Yuki, this is Naruto. Naruto this is Yuki."

The great beast bowed its head. "Greetings, vessel of Kyuubi no Kitsune." The voice was high, like any woman's, but there was an inaudible note that rumbled through the chests of the two humans present.

Naruto bent his head. "Greetings, companion of Shukumei." Naruto was glad his voice didn't shake. This wolf was scaring the shit out of him quite honestly, and he made a mental note to never piss Mei off lest she sic THIS on him. Kyuubi or no, he doubted he could stand up to this immensely powerful creature of nature.

"Ok, enough with the formalities guys. You're getting on my nerves."

Yuki lay down where she was and wrapped her tails around Mei. "But you make it so easy, koinu", she laughed.

Naruto let out the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "You scared me there. I thought I was going to have to be formal all the time."

"Guess I should've mentioned that huh? Well, my turn."

"Your turn for what?"

She reached up and touched his temples with the index and middle fingers of each hand. She closed her eyes.

"What're you-"

"Shhh." Suddenly, they were both in the tunnels that represented Naruto's subconscious.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Standard Disclaimer Applies**_

**Chapter 5: Little Secret**

"How'd you do that?" Naruto, oddly enough, was shocked to be in his own mind.

"A little trick I happen to know. So, where is he?"

"This way." He walked off down the damp, half-flooded corridors.

Mei, only half listening, started thinking out loud. "I wonder if Yuki would like to join us. I think I'll bring her in later. I'm pretty sure she mentioned knowing Kyuubi before she was bound to me."

"Really? I don't talk to him much so I can't say yes or no to that. I guess we could ask, but I doubt if we'll get an answer."

"Mind if I ask? He might answer me."

He was surprised. As far as he knew, Kyuubi was a total bastard to everyone. "Ya think? Go ahead and try if you want. He's a stubborn little flea-bag though so I wouldn't expect much if I were you."

They moved into one large room and there, behind a large set of bars, was Kyuubi no Kitsune. Red eyes widened and glowed more fiercely as they focused on her.

**Why are you here, brat? And who is the little freeloader?**

Instantaneously, Mei's disposition changed, becoming her business self. Her eyes went hard, her stance became self-assured, and her face twisted into a scowl. Naruto thought she looked beautifully deadly. "Watch who you're calling 'freeloader' you giant, parasitic fur-ball!"

Kyuubi's feral grin widened. **Ah! This one has a fire as bright as yours, brat. I would be careful of her. Now, why are you here?**

Before Naruto could even take a breath to speak she said, "Yuki."

Kyuubi managed to yelp **What?** before Yuki suddenly popped into existence next to Mei.

Mei changed again, becoming sarcastic. "Oh, Kyu-kun, how disappointing. You seem to be surprised to see an old friend."

Yuki turned sheepish, bowing her head and looking up through silvery lashes. **"Uh, hi ya, Kyu-kun. Long time no see."**

Naruto's eyes bugged out of their sockets. "That's the giant wolf I saw outside? She's so small now!"

"She's not that small and it's because this form is easier for me to pull into another mind."

While the two humans were talking, Yuki had walked up to the bars to see her old friend. **"So, you got stuck in him, huh?"** She jerked her head in Naruto's direction.

Kyuubi sneered. **Oh, like you did better?**

Yuki snorted back. **"As a matter of fact I did. I am bound Oh Almighty Daemon Lord, not sealed."**

Mei was suddenly by her side again, with Naruto behind her. "Is that sarcasm I hear Yuki?"

"**From moi? How could you think such things, Mei?"** Both burst out laughing. They saw the twin looks of confusion from the other two and burst out laughing all over again.

Still laughing, Mei said, "Seems like they're finally in agreement on something."

"**Yeah, seems like. Too bad it's not a good thing they agree on."**

Mei, still smiling, thoughtfully put a finger on her chin and turned to face the daemon fox. "You know, you could get a lot more done if you worked like an actual team. Kyu, you have the knowledge and experience and Naruto is one hell of a student. You could be amazing together."

**Humph. The brat is too stubborn to accept anything I offer, even if I ****wanted**** to help him.**

"Damn right! I don't trust this fox as far as I could throw him! No way am I taking any advice from him!"

Mei stared at the floor for a second, head tilted in thought. She looked back up at Naruto. "What if we could verify what he says is true? Would you trust him then? Yuki's been around as long as he has, she might know. What do you think?"

The two daemons and the other human looked at her incredulously, then at each other in turns, then back to her. They nodded in unison. She smiled.

"Perfect! We should be getting back now, though. Oh, and I've thought of an opening song. How does "Let's Give Them Something to Talk About" sound?"

"I don't know… Do you think it fits with an opening night?"

**Be quiet, brat. It's fine.**

"And how would you know?"

Kyuubi snorted derisively from behind his bars. **I've heard you sing it in the shower so many times I memorized the words. I can still hear and see the outside world you know.** Kyuubi smirked as Naruto's face took on the color of a ripe strawberry.

Mei tried not to laugh as she pictured Naruto trying to sing along with a woman's voice on the radio. "Will you listen when I perform Kyu? Please?"

**If it would make you happy, koinu, I will listen with the utmost attention.**

"Yay, Kyu-kun is gonna listen!" Mei clapped her hands childishly to amuse the large daemon. Kyuubi's feral grin became softer as he warmed to the girl-child.

Naruto, seeing this, became suspicious. "Hey, why are you suddenly all nice?"

**I trusted Yuki for many years before I was sealed into you, brat. If Yuki left traveling the world with me to fulfill her duty to Mei and her clan then I trust her as I would Yuki. I am not at all pleasant to you because you have given me no reason to be.**

"C'mon, Kyu-kun. You should be able to trust him. You've lived with him for how long?" Kyuubi looked skeptical. "Well, could you at least try? For us? Please?" She knelt beside Yuki and wrapped her arms around Yuki's neck as she looked up at the large daemon. She knew that the cute factor would get to him; it worked on everybody and Yuki had told her once that Kyuubi had visited her when she was a baby and had a soft spot for her. Granted, it wasn't very fair to abuse that advantage but it would help everyone in the long run, especially Naruto and Kyuubi.

From behind the bars came a low growl, not at all menacing and more of a purr really, and he said, **I will try. But if this arrangement does not work then I will go back to the previous deal.**

Mei stood and turned to Naruto. "Is that agreeable?" He nodded and she turned back to Kyuubi and bowed. "Thank you, Kyuubi-sama. I'm sure this will work out to both of your advantage."

**You had better be right, koinu.**

"I haven't been wrong yet. 'Bye for now!" She gave a little wave.

They were in the clearing again.

Naruto shook his head. "I never thought that I'd actually make another deal with him."

"I'm full of surprises. But what do you think of the song selection?"

"It'll definitely work. C'mon, we should get going. Otherwise–"

An eagle suddenly flew by and, letting out a piercing cry, dropped a small scroll into Naruto's outstretched hand. Mei packed up the things as he read. She saw his expression go from slightly concerned to ecstatic. She could practically taste his happiness in the air as she put her hair back up in its customary bun.

"What is it?" She handed him his bag, fully packed, and they started walking.

"Oh, nothing. Just an old friend is visiting on some official business. He has some time to stop by Paradise so we're going to pick him up at Hokage Tower."

"Are you ever going to tell me his name or am I just going to deal with pronouns until I meet your "old friend"?"

"Oh, right. His name's Gaara. He lives out in Hidden Sand. He's next up for the Kazekage-ship."

Mei stopped in her tracks and nearly dropped her bag. The air suddenly felt too heavy, as if it were pressing against her chest, she was finding it hard to breathe. She focused on the ground as she forced air into her lungs.

"… he's a little stiff but he's really a nice guy and– Hey, are you ok? You look a little pale."

"Naruto, Gaara- he has a red tattoo on his forehead that reads 'love' right? Turquoise eyes, looks like he hasn't slept? Always has a giant gourd of sand with him?"

"Yeah… You've heard the rumors haven't you? Well, he's not as bad as they say, not anymore."

Mei continued to stare at the ground in front of her. "No, it's not that. When I was traveling, I stayed in Hidden Sand for about a month. After that, I felt like I had to move on, like I hadn't found my place yet. He was the one I stayed with. I don't even remember how I ended up going back with him that first night, but he was very good to me. I left him without saying goodbye. I had told him I probably would, and he had said he was fine with that, but I don't think he expected me to leave after a month. I left a note on the bed for him. Naruto, I don't think I can face him again. I know I broke his heart. I don't want to see him hate me. I can deal with knowing he hates me if I can just not see it." She looked up at Naruto, pleading with her eyes that he would not do this to her.

Naruto considered her frightened face. "You know, we write back and forth a lot. He told me about this girl he'd picked up at a bar, how beautiful she was, and how much he liked having her around. He told me that she said she would probably leave. He told me that he would never hold her against her will but he so badly wanted her to stay. I never thought I'd actually get to meet her, I can see what he was talking about." He considered the sky for a minute before turning back to her. "Yes, you broke his heart. But he still cares very much for you. He didn't send me a letter for a while after he told me that you had left him. When he did, he said he'd come to terms with it and he sincerely hoped that he'd see you again, that you didn't hate him for wanting to keep you. Look" he put a hand on her shoulder "he could never hate you. He cares about you too much. So come on, let's go see him. It'll be a beautiful reunion."

"Or a complete disaster." Mei dropped her bag and covered her face with her hands.

Naruto sighed and pulled her to him. "A beautiful disaster then. The two of you are too pretty to be anything else." He grinned.

Mei smiled, disengaged herself from his arm, and picked up her bag. "Don't let him hear you say that. He hates being called pretty. Says it makes him feel girly."

They both laughed and continued on their way to Hokage Tower.

Halfway there Mei suddenly stopped, a horrified look on her face. Naruto, who had been happily chattering away about nothing stopped as well. "What? What's wrong?"

"I just realized that I'm half-naked and I look a mess! How am I supposed to see Gaara after all this time looking like this? We have to stop by my hotel room!"

Naruto cocked his head to the side. "What are you talking about? You look fine to me."

"No! I should at least look presentable when I go to see an old friend shouldn't I?"

"Yeah, I guess so…" Naruto rubbed the back of his head.

"Then that settles it. You're coming with me and we're both going to take a quick shower and change before we go."

"What? But-!"

"No buts! We're going!" Naruto was prepared to literally dig in his heels to slow her down; it proved to be futile. With more strength than he would have believed she had possessed, Mei dragged him all the way to her hotel room, practically threw him in the shower stall, and turned on the cold water.

'Wow. Note to self: Naruto screams like a little girl when you throw cold water on him.'

**A/N:** Yeah, I know it's a weird place to stop but the next scene ended up making this waaaaay too long so I had to cut it off here. I feel almost like too much happened this chapter. So sorry, but I promise the next one is worth it. ;-)


	6. Chapter 6

_**Standard Disclaimer Applies**_

**Chapter 6 – Things That Shouldn't Be**

Mei set down his bag on the toilet seat and started to run back into the room when she stopped cold. After getting over her temporary shock she called out, "Don't worry about your clothes getting wet! You still have that change you brought with you to the river!"

"Yeah, yeah I remember! Did you have to make this so cold? Geez!" She saw wet clothes being tossed from the shower into the sink.

Mei laughed easily as she closed the door, despite the fear freezing her in place. My god, I deserve an Oscar… She turned to the other figure in the room and began to whisper furiously.

"What are you doing here, Itachi? You shouldn't be here! You know what? Don't answer that, it doesn't matter. You need to leave. Now."

Itachi remained seated on the bed as he answered, keeping his voice low. "I thought you enjoyed my company? Or am I completely wrong for once?"

She sighed quietly and moved toward him, kneeling in front him and putting her hand on his knee. "You're no where near wrong, Itachi-kun. I just don't want to see you get caught." He raised an eyebrow at her and she sighed again at the nonverbal question. "Long story short: apparently, I look like a female version of you and when the Hokage questioned me about it I found out what happened to your family. Don't give me that look and don't get any ideas, it's not that I don't care about what you did it's just that I have a feeling they don't know the whole story."

He hinged a brow at her again, perhaps she knew him better than he thought, but that was of no consequence at the moment because she was still speaking. "As the situation is, I feel a little guilty that I know about you and you don't know anything about me. Therefore, I'm going to give you the quick and dirty version of what happened with my family, and then we're square. Deal?" He answered with a wordless nod.

She stared at her hand on his knee, unable to meet his eyes. "Okay. So, my baby brother was a prodigy ninja. A few years ago, I was walking home from a gig and I found a Special Ops team running around in our district, trying to seal it off, and there were the bodies of my family everywhere. They said they were looking for my brother. He'd gone crazy and killed the whole clan and was waiting around for me to finish the job, or so they told me. I gave the Ops Team the slip and went to try and find him. At least I found him before they did. He didn't try to kill me. Said he couldn't." She took a breath to calm the stutter that wanted to form and blinked to keep the tears at bay. She didn't even notice when Itachi palmed her face and stroked her cheek with his thumb, she was so far gone into her memories.

"When the Ops Team caught up with me, he tried to go after them. I couldn't let him kill them so I erected a barrier to keep us separated from them. That's when he came after me, finally. I reacted faster than I thought I ever could and then there he was, bleeding to death in my arms. I was covered in his blood and he seemed to have more blood pouring out of him than I thought could ever come out of any human being. I had pulled out a kunai I always kept with me and cut into his stomach. I had cut his spinal chord perfectly in two so he couldn't feel the wound I had given him. As he died he told me that he had no idea what had happened to him, but he was proud of me for being able to defend myself. He told me it wasn't my fault and that he loved me no matter what because I was his nee-san."

She didn't remember beginning to cry, but she had at some point, just like every time she thought of her oto or that night. In any case here she was, bawling for the umpteenth time today over her baby brother, with her forehead on the knee of the most wanted man in the Hidden Leaf. Dear god, I live such a fucked-up life…

She started to laugh out loud at the absurdity of the day. Not only that but now she heard the water was off and the bathroom door was opening. No doubt Itachi heard it as well, but he didn't seem to care, he was too busy running his fingers over her head. There was also no doubt in her mind that this would be rather uncomfortable.

"I don't really see what could be so upsetting and so amusing at the same time. Unless, of course, you're picturing Itachi there in drag. Actually, he might make a very pretty girl if you think about it, so it's more funny than upsetting."

"N-Naruto! Be nice!" Mei raised her head at his voice and rubbed fervently at her watery eyes. Even though her tears acted as a personal mist and obstructed her view, she still saw that smile that always made her lips want to curve up in answer. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, came long-fingered, cool, precise hands that stopped her vicious rubbing and a soft cotton cloth being dabbed on her face. She squeezed her eyes shut to rid them of the last tears. When she opened them again, there was Itachi, still dabbing gently at her face, and Naruto, still leaning nonchalantly against the bathroom doorframe dressed in baggy, khaki Bermuda shorts and a black T-shirt.

Itachi refused to acknowledge Naruto and, still speaking to Mei, he said, "Naruto-kun can say what he likes. It does not bother me. I am here for you."

Mei took a shaky breath and let it go. "Liar." The cool cloth halted in its path to absorb her spilt tears and pitch-black eyes looked at her and she saw hurt buried there. After an eternity in that moment, the cloth continued. "Why would you accuse me of being a liar, Mei?"

"You were headed here for him when I first met you, the fact that I'm here as well is just a bonus for you. Don't lie to me, Itachi."

"Now, now Itachi. You of all people should know better than to mix business and pleasure. You are a ninja after all." Mei didn't have to look to see the manic grin that adorned Naruto's face; she could hear it loud and clear. She gave Itachi her full attention and kept it there.

Itachi, still ignoring Naruto, grasped her chin lightly and tilted her face to dab away the last of the tear marks. "Why would you assume that I was headed here anyway, Mei?"

"I'm not an idiot Itachi, when given all the pieces to the puzzle it is easy to put together. At the same time, this does not change what I said earlier."

Itachi tightened his grip on her face and smirked. "The part where you want me to leave or the part where you don't want me to get caught?"

"Both, because as much as I don't want you to get caught I don't want Naruto to get caught either. And for the record, I am very selfish in my reasons for both."

"Oh?" Now Naruto joined in what was fast becoming her interrogation. He pushed off the wall and walked over to sit on the bed to Itachi's right. Itachi did nothing but glance at him. "And what would those reasons be?"

"I don't want Itachi to be caught because that would put me between a rock and a hard place with the government of the Hidden Leaf. I don't want you to be caught because you are my employer; to have you disappear while in my company does not bode well for my steady paycheck." All the time Mei looked into Itachi's eyes, being unable to look anywhere else.

"You are too smart for your own good, my Doku." Itachi disappeared.

Wordlessly, Naruto helped Mei up from the floor to sit on the bed where Itachi had been. Leaning her against his side and rubbing her back he asked, "Why did he call you that?"

"I've worked in a lot of places that required stage names Uzumaki-san, 'Doku' was what I used." He didn't bother to correct her use of the formality.

"I see. Well, you should take your shower and change. Don't worry, we won't tell the old hag he stopped in to visit. He's just checking up on me anyway." Mei got up and pulled her clothing bag into the bathroom with her. She felt so tired, but Naruto's next words jolted her out of her daze. "You know, I think you were right when you said he came here for me originally, but you were wrong when you said you were a bonus for him. He came for me, yes, but he stayed for you."

Mei said nothing and closed the bathroom door to take a shower. That done, and in a much more formal outfit (white lacy skirt, short-sleeved white cotton sweater, sleeveless black pinstripe blouse) that still had her signature twist (black, high-heeled, knee high boots), they walked to Hokage Tower.

Naruto couldn't believe the difference. She could be one of so many people at any given time but she was always the same beautiful person. Right now, for instance, she looked like a business woman with her hair tied up in its near-perpetual bun. Earlier, she had looked like a lost child, kneeling at Itachi's knee like that. At the river, she had just looked like a kid her age that had seen far too much. Naruto was sure the last was the truest version.

She might have done some questionable things in her past, most of which Naruto was sure he'd heard about, but they were minor in comparison to the damage she did to herself. Keeping all those thoughts and feelings locked away was bad for her and he realized that if she truly intended to settle down and make the Hidden Leaf her home he would have to be there for her in the first few weeks. She would need to cry out everything to someone to keep from running and he wanted to be that someone. That same someone would also need to keep her and Itachi separated, and since he already seemed to have that job why not take the first as well? All these thoughts ran through his mind during the walk to the Tower.

After a few minutes' walk Mei asked, "Why is everyone staring at us, Naruto-kun?"

"They don't like me, remember? They're probably wondering who you are and what you're doing with me."

"I still find it hard to believe they don't like you. Though I suppose that's just because I'm not prejudiced." She said it loud enough for a fair few people around them to hear. Naruto just smiled at the gesture of friendship. She was trying to apologize for Itachi's presence earlier, and he knew it.

"You know, it's funny, I'm more scared of them than I am of Itachi."

"Itachi? Yes, I can see that. At least he's straightforward, his motivations and reasoning aren't a mystery. You always know where you stand with him. That's why you weren't afraid when he showed up, yes?"

"Exactly." They passed the rest of the walk in silence. When they were right outside the door to Tsunade's office he turned to her and said, "That is also why I am not afraid of you." She nodded in understanding and he started to open the office door. "Yo Granny! Are you done with all your official stuff yet?"

"We would be if she hadn't been called away." Mei recognized that voice right away and shrunk behind Naruto a little more. Suddenly, she wasn't sure if she could face someone she knew she'd hurt so badly.

"Hey, Naruto, how've you been? And who's that behind you?" 'Damn it, Temari. Do you HAVE to be so frigging observant?'

Mei relaxed herself, stepped out from behind Naruto, and smiled. "Hey, guys. Long time no see."

Even Naruto could see the anger flashing across the faces of Gaara's siblings. Now she knew for sure Gaara had been very hurt by what she'd done. He himself gave no sign of anything other than being happy to see her again. It was like with Itachi, she could tell even if he made no outward sign of emotion. Well, in this instance she didn't have to guess since, as soon as Gaara's saw her, he started to move forward. He stopped right in front of her and she looked into his eyes and smiled as though she weren't on the verge of crying. She felt so guilty.

"Sing for me." It was said so quietly she almost missed it in the sound of blood pounding in her ears. She didn't need to ask what.

She was always humming a song when they were just sitting around people-watching from the rooftops and he had once asked her what it was. She said it was just a song that kind of reminded her of how they acted together. They had agreed that if she did leave and they met up again, that she would sing it for him before anything else. That was early on, when it seemed like a joke that she would leave. But at least he remembered and that meant he would never forget her. So she started to sing.

_You make me breakfast in bed_

_When I'm mixed up in my head_

_You wake me with a kiss_

_And I could get used to this_

_You think I look the best_

_When my hair is a mess_

_I can't believe you exist_

_But I could get used to this_

_Because I know_

_You're too good to be true_

_I must have done_

_Something good to meet you_

_Because you wrote my name all across your hand_

_When I freak you understand_

_There is not a thing you miss_

_And I could get used to this_

_I'm feeling it coming over me_

_With you it all comes naturally_

_Lost the reflex to resist_

_And I could get used to this_

_You love the songs I write_

_You like the movies I like_

_There must be some kind of twist_

_But I could get used to this_

_Because you listen to me_

_When I'm depressed_

_It doesn't seem_

_To make you like me less_

_Because you wrote my name all across your hand_

_When I freak you understand_

_There is not a thing you miss_

_And I could get used to this_

_I'm feeling it coming over me_

_With you it all comes naturally_

_I lost the reflex to resist_

_And I could get used to this_

_If there's a dark side to you_

_I haven't seen it_

_Every good thing you do_

_Feels like you mean it_

_Because you wrote my name all across your hand_

_When I freak you understand_

_There is not a thing you miss_

_And I could get used to this_

_I'm feeling it coming over me_

_With you it all comes naturally_

_I lost the reflex to resist_

_And I could get used to this_

_Because you wrote my name all across your hand_

_When I freak you understand_

_There is not a thing you miss_

_And I could get used to this_

_I'm feeling it coming over me_

_With you it all comes naturally_

_I lost the reflex to resist_

_And I could get used to this_

_You make me breakfast in bed_

_When I'm mixed up in my head_

_You wake me with a kiss_

_And I could get used to this_ (I could get used to this by The Veronicas)

Naruto had taken the other siblings to the other side of the office in order to give the two their space and she was singing under her breath so no one but Gaara heard her. But the others heard the melody all the same and found just as uplifting and loving without the words.

"You remembered." It was a question though it was said as a statement.

"God help me if I ever forget." She smiled again and closed the space between them to give him a hug. But when he hugged her back, her calm exterior broke down. Shaking, she whispered in his ear, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I really didn't. But I had to leave and I just couldn't say good bye to your face. I thought it would be better if I didn't have to see you get mad at me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

She went on and on and could not be comforted. Gaara even apologized a few times for upsetting her but that only seemed to upset her more. She was reduced to a hysteric mess, beyond the point of tears. Eventually, Naruto caught a certain part of what she was babbling into Gaara's shoulder and whispered something in Temari's ear which she whispered to Kankuro. After some more prodding from Naruto, the older Sand siblings apologized for acting hostile before because all they wanted really was to protect Gaara from being hurt again.

Mei managed to hear them out without bursting out in apologies again. Naruto could tell that was a very bad habit of hers and it took an amazing amount of will power to control. It was bad for her, like most of her other personality traits, but he was confident that he could help her. If, that is…

"Hey, Gaara, you guys are coming to opening night, right?" Naruto had his fox grin on and Mei thought whatever was going to happen was bad. For her anyway.

Temari was the one that answered. "Of course! How could we miss the beginning of a good friend's dream? That's like asking if we'd miss your wedding! If you ever get hitched that is."

"Hey, leave the kid alone, Temari. You know it's hard for a ninja to find a life partner given the career choice", Kankuro chided.

"We all know that, I'm just teasing him. Besides, it gets my point across, right?" The older siblings argued for a while more but the conversation went on without them.

"Are you coming, Gaara?" Mei was praying he would say yes.

"Of course. I promised Naruto-kun that I would come when I had the chance. Even if I hadn't, I want to hear you perform again." Gaara smiled that not-quite-full smile at her. It was enough to relax her.

Naruto finally remembered the question he'd wanted to ask. "So, where is the old hag anyway? Where'd she get called to?"

Temari finally stopped arguing with Kankuro. "The hospital. There was a little girl who hit her head and lost her eyesight. They needed Lady Tsunade to come by and heal her since none of the doctors there could figure out what was wrong."

Mei had that gut feeling something was off. "I hope she'll be ok."

Naruto flung an arm around her shoulders and smiled his goofy smile. "Aw, she'll be fine. Granny can heal almost anything. A bump on the head is no big deal." But Mei still had that feeling, hopefully it wasn't about the night's performance.

Mei didn't need to worry about her performance at The Paradise Lounge. Gaara told her the music choice was wonderful and her singing was better and better with each song. They all praised her greatly and she felt that warm glow of pride in her work, something she hadn't felt in a while. The giant bouquet of blood red roses and pure white lilies in her dressing room helped, too.

She had decided on her own to dedicate the opening song to Gaara. She even purposely sat him front and center so the spotlight could pick him out of the crowd. After that night, the front and center seat was called the "Guest of Honor" seat and reserved for those celebrating anniversaries, birthdays, promotions, and the like. Of course, proof of such an occasion had to be brought in.

The next few days passed in blissful peace. Her schedule was worked out, the music and her wardrobe were planned weeks in advance, and she spent plenty of time at that spot by the river with Naruto. Their friendship developed quickly, deeply, and well. It was better than she thought it would have been. She could tell him anything without worrying it would get around town and he told her he felt the same. They told each other everything about their pasts and they felt healed by this sharing. She insisted on working with Naruto and Kyuubi in some private training for which they were both grateful.

Naruto even managed to find her an apartment so she didn't have to live at the hotel anymore. It was closer to Paradise than his own apartment so she offered to let him crash there whenever he needed. After all, he was responsible for getting her the apartment in the first place. So he had the spare set of keys and made full use of them, and her couch, most weekdays.

Itachi visited her every night to just talk, he even waited till Naruto was asleep the nights he was there. Itachi always fell asleep with her and she would wake up the next morning alone. His presence was at Paradise when she practiced and when she performed. She found things in her dressing room when he'd been there; little things, mostly wildflowers. She presumed that the giant bouquet from her first night was from him as well.

Later that week she met all of Naruto's other friends at a big get together. She got along well with all of them other than Sasuke, who stared at her strangely. This ended in them arguing about something or other that made no real sense, she was sure it was because she looked so much like Itachi, and they ended up fighting. Sasuke got a black eye and several broken ribs that Sakura insisted on healing. She managed to dodge everything he threw at her. Naruto made the mistake of saying she was scarier than Sakura, for which both girls proceeded to bond over giving him several bruises.

Someone, Ino if she remembered right, made the comment that she and Naruto could be mistaken for brother and sister the way they acted. Kakashi had chosen that moment to pop up out of nowhere to add "Or lovers" then poof away before Mei could kill him with her Death Glare. Naruto had broken the tense silence afterward by saying her Death Glare was worse than Sasuke's. She elbowed him in the ribs and her lips twitched in a repressed smile. Seeing everything was fine, the others picked up the conversation once again.

Everything was going great for her for the first time in a long time. Then she was called to the Hokage's office.


End file.
